Southern Cocktails: Delightful Drinks to Try in Dixie
Sometimes it feels like the South is a separate country on its own, somewhere a passport should be brandished to enter. The dialect is different, with locally flavored language that’s slow and methodical and peppered with otherwise unheard phrases and idioms. The mansions are big and bawdy, and the Southern Belles are nothing short of charming. Breakfast comes hearty and satisfying, buttered biscuits and the cheesiest of grits making it complete. Spanish moss drapes the walkways and true Southern hospitality with its offerings of sweet tea and warm welcomes can’t be competed with.
You’ll find whether you’re visiting cosmopolitan cities like Atlanta or one of the pleasant small towns of the South, that these traits are far-reaching in this part of the country. It’s a region where the sun is unceasing, and the cocktails and good times are equally so. The South has its own spin on signature libations that will have you delighted to be drinking in Dixie.
Cocktail | The Hurricane
Destination | New Orleans
When whiskey and bourbon were hard to come by in the ‘40s, New Orleans got innovative with a concoction that’s a can’t-miss bright red that begs you not to spill it. To get their hands on the more popular and in-demand dark liquors, bars were forced to stock up on heavy supplies of rum. The New Orleans longstanding tavern Pat O’Brien’s took this in stride and made the most of the overload by creating a nearly-sickeningly sweet beverage. The concoction was a mixture of rum and fruit juice or grenadine. The cocktail can only be truly called a hurricane when served in the iconic bulbous glass, resembling a hurricane lamp and thus where its name derives from.
Highly potent, this drink is nearly as powerful as its natural disaster counterpart. New Orleans is renowned for its nightlife in the French Quarter, and the hurricane cocktail is certainly an ingredient of that. While gale force winds and torrential rains are never welcome in The Big Easy, hurricane warnings in beverage form are always met with cheers.
Cocktail | Mint Julep
Destination | Louisville, Ky.
Nearly synonymous with Kentucky Derby race day, the mint julep is a refreshing classic and traditional Southern favorite. Virginia may be where the beverage was born, but Kentucky is where it has flourished. Glasses of julep are raised on Derby day, the first Saturday in May, as a rousing rendition of “My Old Kentucky Home” plays. Consisting of primarily bourbon and fresh mint, the robust drink is served in silver julep cups filled to the brim with liquid.
While the ingredients are a constant, the finest bourbon and Kentucky Colonel mint, the method of best preparation is oft debated. Some crush the mint and sugar together in a muddled fashion, while others swear by the fact that the mint should only be smelled and never tasted.
Cocktail | Yellowhammer
Destination | Tuscaloosa, Ala.
You’re always guaranteed a stiff drink in a college town such as Tuscaloosa. This is where football reigns supreme and life revolves around the University of Alabama. Here in T-town, a strong cocktail and an SEC game go hand-in-hand. The Yellowhammer, named for the state’s bird, has become a staple for game days. It’s originating bar Gallettes keeps the recipe close to the cuff, but Crimson Tide fans have surmised the fruity and smooth drink is made with rum, amaretto, pineapple and orange juice and vodka. Grab yourself one before heading to Bryant-Denny Stadium to truly get into the spirit of things. You’ll be shouting “roll tide” in no time.
Cocktail | Rum Runner
Destination | Islamorada, Fla.
The rum runner pays tribute to the daring bootleggers of the Prohibition era that smuggled the liquor into Florida’s coasts, all in the name of a good drink. The runners would smuggle rum from the Bahamas into south Florida, offering reprieve to the liquor-deprived citizens.
The original rum runner in cocktail form is said to have been created in the ‘50s at the Holiday Isle Tiki Bar in Islamorada, Fla. With a little creativity from the bartender, the potion of banana liqueur, rum, brandy and grenadine was formed and quickly became a fan favorite of locals and travelers visiting this slice of paradise.
Cocktail | Sazerac
Destination | New Orleans
The quintessential Southern drink, the Sazerac competes with the hurricane over the title as New Orleans’ beverage of choice. The state legislature stands by the Sazerac though, giving it endorsed backing as the Official Cocktail of the City of New Orleans. The origin of the Sazerac is a bit murky, much like your recollections after an evening of drinking the mixture are. The most widely held belief is that apothecary Antoine Amédée Peychaud had a hand in its formation, creating it as a medicinal blend at his drug store in the French Quarter of the city in 1893. Some say it’s even the first cocktail to ever be created.
The Sazerac is a bitter drink, combining rye whiskey, bitters, sugar, lemon peel and an absinthe substitute. It’s rich and multifaceted in its tastes, more apt for elegant sipping than the quick consuming of the hurricane. A drink this intricately prepared demands your full attention.
Cocktail | Mississippi Punch
Destination | Kentucky, Louisiana and Arkansas
“The greatest bartender in history,” Jerry Thomas first referenced the Mississippi punch in his first edition of Bon Vivant’s Companion in 1862. The origin of this potent beverage that mixes three different spirits (cognac, whiskey and rum) along with splashes of citrus and sugar can be attributed hazily to somewhere “along the Mississippi,” but we may never know where exactly. And it’s no wonder, you might not remember much after a cup of this concoction that reflects an era of the area that was more than a little rowdy.
I'll be traveling to Texas soon, and you can bet I'll be trying these drinks! Do you have any Dallas tips to share?
